Bed-covering.



A. E. BLOFIBLD & J. J. LINK.

BED COVERING.

APPLIUATION IILBD APR. 24, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1913.

UNITED sTATEs r rENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. BLOFIELD AND JACOB J. LINK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BED-COVERING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1912. Serial No. 682,861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, A n'rnun l). liLUFIELl) and Jaoon J. LINK, a citizen of the United States and a subject of the Emperor of Russia, respectively, and residents of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful IIIIPI'OVGII'IODiS in Bed-Coverings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to bed coverings, particularly those designed to cover infants in their cribs. Our objects are to provide improved means for this purpose which shall be sanitary, removable and interchangeable; in which the bed coverings immediately under the baby or occupant of the bed shall at all times lie smoothly and not be subject to derangei'nent, shall be efficiently secured so as to at all times stay in place, and at the same time not unduly bind or restrict the movements of the sleeper.

According to our invention straps removably and adjustably secured to the four corners of the under covers and also the top cover or blanket run to loops encircling the four bed posts or other fixed parts of the bedstead, the straps and connections being in effect unitary structures which are sccured and adjusted with great facility under all conditions. The straps securing the under coverings in position at the foot of i the bed are flexible and elastic as well as ad justable, while those at the head of the bed are preferably non-elastic, so that the under coverings may be smoothly adjusted and retained in position, while at the same time they will not be displaced downwardly and doubled over or wrinkled by the movement of the child or person getting into bed, as they might be if the connections at the upper end were elastic. The straps securing the upper end of the blanket or top covering to the head of the bed are preferably elastic, so that the turning or other movements of the occupant of the bed shall not be restricted.

Our invention also comprises an improved clasp, which We preferably use for securing the edges of the blanket or top covering, but which may advantageously be used in other connections.

Accordingly our invention comprises the above objects, and also the provision of parts and combinations of elements necessary ordesirable in the carrying out of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

represents in perspective one of the con necting straps for securing one corner of both the under and upper covers to a bed post; Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section, enlarged, of our lIl'lPYOVOd clasp; Fig. {his a cross section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the clasp shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 represents the sheet of material designed to be placed next the mattress. In the case of coverings for a babys crib this should be of rubber or water-proof n'iatcrial. Iimnediately above this is placed the quilt or cover 2, preferably a thick absorbent mat, which can be readily replaced and washed. The person or infant lies upon sheets or covers 1 and 2 and is covered by blanket or cover 3, shown broken away in Fig. 1.

In the preferred form of our invention, the under covers 1 and 2 and the top cover 3 are held in place by straps or connections at. the four corners thereof represented as a who-1c by the reference characters 1, 5, 6 and 7. The st 'aps a and 5 at the head end of the bed comprise non-elastic strips or bands 8 and 9 which may be secured to the upper corners of the under covers 1 and 2 and which are connected by buckles 10 and 11 to the strips or bands 12 and 13, which are also non-elastic and are intended to be fastened around the posts of the bed or crib. The free ends of the bands 12 and 13 may be secured to the lower ends of the same after they have been passed around the bed posts by means of fastenings 14 and 15, which preferably are buttons or fastening means similar to those used in gloves, which are secured by merely being pressed together. The lower end of each strap 8 and S) is adapted to be secured to the upper surface of cover 1 and the lower surface of cover 2, at the corners thereof, by means of fastenings 16, 17. and 18, 19, which preferably also are similar to those used on gloves. Straps 8 and 9 may also have means for adjusting the length thereof, such as buckles 20 and 21, if desired.

The lower corners of covers 1 and 2 are secured to the bed posts at the foot by conblanket. at the foot end of the bed.

neetions similar to those'just described comprising straps 22, 23, buckles 24, 25 and loops 26, 27, for encircling the bed posts. Straps 22, 23 are buttoned or fastened to the lower corners of covers 1 and 2 in the same manner thatstraps 8 and 9 are secured to the upper corners; Straps 22, 23, however, should be of elastic material, although the loops 2G, 27 preferably are of non-elastic material, and buckles for adjusting the.

length should be provided-on straps 22, 23, the buckles being shown at 22, 23.

It will be evident that the under covers 1 and 2 can readily be removed and replacedand adjusted in position to lie tautand smooth upon the mattress, the proper ten sion being secured by the elastic straps at the foot of the same. Since the connections 8 and 9 at the head end are not elastic, the bed coverings 1 and 2 will not be displaced or wrinkled or forced downwardly when the infant'or person gets into bed. Since the straps 22 and 23 are elastic between the fastening devices for the same, 23, 29, 30 and 31, which hold the straps to the coverings 1 and 2, it will be evident. that the shrinkage of the cover or quilt 2 in washing will not affect the tautness of the under coverings when positioned.

The under covers are held down upon the mattress by the weight of theinfant and also, if desired, by the bolster which can be placed above straps 8 and 9. The top cover or blanket which is to cover the infant is secured in position at the head end by straps 32 and 33, which are secured at their outer ends to buckles 10 and 11, and which carry at their inner ends clasps 3i and which clamp the corners of the blanket. These straps preferably are provided with buckles for adjusting their length....At the bottom the blanket 3 is considerably longer than the under covers, as shown, so that it can be tucked in. N o straps similar to 32 and 33 are necessary at the foot end, but clasps 36, 37, similar to clasps 34 and 35, at the head end, are used, these clasps each clamping a corner or fold of the blanket and being fastened directly to buckles 24 and 25. This furnishes a very simple securing means for the foot end of the blanket, as the clasps can be readily clamped to the blanket, and the wire loops at the ends of the clasps slipped over the buckles 24, 25. There is no need of an elastic connection for the The straps 32, 33, at the head end of the bed are made of elastic material so that the infant will not be unduly bound or restricted in its movements but that, on the contrary, the

. blanket 3 will be at all times elastically held top covering 3 extend to the same loops 12, 13, etc., around the bed posts, to which the connections 8, 9, etc., are fastel'ied, the blanket 3 cannot easily rise up out of covering position, the loops 12, 13, etc, being held from rising upon the bed posts by the weight of the person on the lower covers, and also by the bolster being 'placed'across the. straps 8 and 9.

The elasps 34, 3 5, etc., by which the straps 32, 33 and the buckles 24, 25,. are secured to the corners of the blanket 3, may be ofany suitable character. They are, however, preferably a clasp devised by us and WlllOll constitutes a portion of our invention, the

details thereof being shown in Figs. 3 to 5. Referring to these figures, the end of the strap 32, for example, or the buckle 24,

is secured by means of a metallic loop. 38 to the smaller end of a wedge shaped member 39 preferably formed of pressed metal. The clamping jaws 4t) and 41. in the preferred form of clasp are pivotally mounted upon. the pin 42 surrounding which is the spiral spring 43, the two ends of which press the jaws 40 and 41, into open position. The lower jaw preferably carries a pad 44 of rubber or other similar material between which and the end of the jaw d0 the material to be clasped is pressed.

The jaws 40 and 41 are mounted, as shown in the drawings, to slide upon one face of the wedge shaped member 39, the tail end of jaw 40 preferably being provided with a portion 4.5 bent substantially at right angles to the jaw and bearing upon the sur face of the wedge, this extension 45 having lugs 46 bearing on the two sides of the wedge member. The upper jaw 40 has an extension or stirrup 47 extending downwardly from its two sides and extending around the bottom of wedge member 39, where its two ends are secured together. The length of the side of the stirrup is so chosen in relation to the thickness of the wedge member 39 that the jaws of the clasp are in open position when the stirrup 47 is at thesmaller end of the wedge and the jaws are gradually closed by the n'iovement ofthe wedge through the stirrup so that. when the stirrup has reached such a position that the clamping ends of the jaws are directly over the large end of the wedge member 39, the jaws will be entirely closed. Itshould be noted that wedge member 39 constitutes the operative member of the clasp, the-strap 32 or other connection through which a pull may be imparted, being connected to the small end of the wedge so that the greater the pull upon the small end of the wedge, the more firmly will the jaws grip the material to beheld. It also should be noted that when the jaws are in closed position, they are directly over the large end of the wedge which furnishes a rigid support for the same. The wedge member 39 is referably formed of met-a1 bent into U s ape in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4. I

It will be understood that while we have particularly described, for purpose of illustration, the preferred form of our invention, the invention is not limited thereto, but is as broad as is indicated by the following claims.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In bed coverings, the combination of a cover adapted to be lain upon, a. separate cover adapted to cover the occupant of the bed, straps adapted to encircle the bed posts at both head and foot, a connection from each strap removably secured to the adjacent corner of said lower cover and arconnection from each strap adapted to be secured to the corners of said upper cover, substantially as described.

2. In bed coverings, the combination of an under cover, adapted to be lain u on, and an upper cover, adapted to cover t e occuant, means for securing the same to the ed'at the foot thereof, straps adapted to encircle the bed posts at the head end and connections from said straps to the upper ends of both said under and upper covers, the said connections to said under cover being non-elastic and said connections to said upper cover being elastic, substantially as described.

3. In bed coverings, the combination of an under cover, ada ted to be lain-upon, and an upper cover in ependen't thereof, adapted to cover the occu ant, means for securing the same to both of the bed osts at the same point on each post in suc manner as to old the under cover flat and the upper cover yieldingly in position, regardless of the movements of the occupant of the bed, the said securin means comprisi elastic connections for t e foot-of sa1d un er cover and the head of said upper cover, respecing the lower corners thereof to the foot of the bedstead and non-elastic means for se' curing the upper'corners thereof to the head of the bedstead, and adjustable means for securing said upper cover to the bedstead, connected to sa1d securing means-for the head and foot of said under cover, substantially as described. I

5. Inbed coverings, the combination of a pair of separate under covers both adapted to be lain u on and means for removably securing bot of the same to the bedvadaptmovably secured to t ed to hold both of the same flat and unwrinkled regardless of the movements of the occupant of the bed, comprising straps secured tothe adjacent upper corners of both covers, and adapted to be secured to the head of the bed, and a pair of elastic straps each removably secured to theadjacent lower corners of both covers, and adapted to be secured to the footof the bed, sub stantially as described.

6. In bed coverings, a pair of covers adapted to be lain upon, fastening means adjacent the four corners of each, four straps, each having coacting fastening means, each secured thereby to one corner of both covers, said straps being adapted to secure said covers to the four corners of the bedstead, and the portions of the pair of said straps at one end situated between the fastening means for the two covers, being flexible, substantially as described.

7. In bed coverings, the combination of a pair of covers adapted to be lain upon, an upper cover, circlets adapted to extend around the bed posts at the head and foot, a connection from each circlet removably secured to the adjacent corner of both lower covers, and a connection from each circlet adapted to be secured to the corners of said upper cover, substantially as described.

, 8. In bed coverings, the combination of a pair of covers adapted to be lain upon, an

upper cover, circlets ada ted to extend around the bed posts at the ead and foot, a connection from each circlet removably secured to the adjacent corner of both lower covers, and a connection from each circlet adapted to be secured to the corners of said upper cover, the connections to the lower covers being elastic at the foot end and nonelastic at the head end, and the connections to the upper cover being elastic at the head end, substantially as described.

9. In bed covers, the combination of under and upper covers and means for securing the same in position comprising connections re e lower cover, straps, and adjustable clasps secured to said straps and removably secured to said upper cover, said clas s being adapted'to be attached to covers 0 'diflerent thicknesses and said connections and straps being adapted to be socured to the bed posts, substantially as described.

This specification signed andwitnessed.

this 17th day of April, 1912.

ARTHUR E. BLOFIELD. JACOB J. LINK.

Witnesses Dyan SMITH,

' HENRY Summon. 

